The end of August might signal the end of summer, but it’s also a beautiful time for football fans. The NFL season is right around the corner, and Week Zero is about to kick off for some good, old-fashioned NCAA football. What could be better?
This year, seven games are taking place as part of the Week Zero festivities which includes participation from two ranked teams, USC and Norte Dame. Notre Dame is facing off against Navy and USC is playing San Jose State.
With these seven games, we thought it might be a good idea to take a look at some of the best player props that PrizePicks has to offer. Without further ado, here are our top picks for this weekend’s slate.
Caleb Williams OVER 302.5 Passing Yards
We can’t talk about USC without discussing the elite play of Caleb Williams. Williams won the Heisman Trophy last season and is the betting favorite to take home the trophy again this year.
He averaged over 320 passing yards per game during his Heisman run. Williams will likely be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Look for a very strong start out of him on Saturday night, showcasing the reasons for his high praise.
Sam Hartman OVER 2 Touchdown Passes
Sam Hartman has the difficult task of being Notre Dame’s starting quarterback. This is a historic organization, one that constantly has a lot of eyes on its games.
However, Hartman is no stranger to the spotlight. He has already played in five collegiate seasons, all at Wake Forest. With any luck, he’ll be a great fit at Notre Dame, hoping to bring some magic back to this university.
During the 2022 NCAA Season, Hartman had just four games with two or fewer touchdown passes, and that was with Wake Forest’s weapons. He has a lot more to play with at Notre Dame, and we’re expecting him to crush this over by the third quarter.
AJ Swann OVER 220.5 Passing Yards
You might look at AJ Swann’s numbers from last season and think we’re crazy to recommend his passing yardage over. He only had more than 221 yards in two of nine games last year, a potential sign that he could struggle in his first game. However, there’s more to this than meets the eye.
Swann and Vanderbilt had a crazy difficult schedule last season. This included games against Alabama, Tennessee, Wake Forest, Ole Miss, and Georgia. Woof.
While Hawaii is a formidable opponent, their defense can’t hold a candle to powerhouses like Vanderbilt played last year. I don’t necessarily think Swann is going to have a 300-yard performance tonight, but 225-250 is incredibly doable, especially when considering his competition.
